Karachi court awards death sentence in teenage girl rape and murder case

KARACHI: A sessions court in Karachi on Friday sentenced a man to death after convicting him of raping and murdering a 15-year-old girl in 2022.

Additional District and Sessions Judge (East) Naseer Noor Khan found Muhammad Irfan, who worked as a plumber, guilty and handed down capital punishment on two counts: rape and murder. The court also ordered him to pay Rs1 million in compensation to the girl’s legal heir.

Prosecution case

According to the prosecution, the incident took place on Dec 8, 2022, when the victim’s parents had gone to work and her sister had left for university, leaving the teenager alone at home. The accused had come to the house to fix a sink, after which he raped the girl and later killed her by strangulation, the prosecution said.

In a statement given to police, the accused said he had gone to the house to repair the sink and later raped the girl. He further stated that when the doorbell rang, he “put his hands on her mouth as result she suffocated and expired.”

A case was registered at Mubina Town police station under Sections 302 and 376 of the Pakistan Penal Code. The accused was caught red-handed by people in the area, according to the prosecution.

Mother reacts to verdict

After the ruling, the victim’s mother welcomed the verdict. She said she had been pursuing justice for the past four years and that some people had advised her not to continue with the case because, in their view, the courts would not provide justice.

She said she had faith in Allah and believed that justice would eventually be done. She also demanded that the convict be hanged either in her presence or at a public place.